


Provisions Provided

by JantoJones



Series: Further Brief Briefings [24]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 16:29:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16308701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JantoJones/pseuds/JantoJones
Summary: Illya must find a way to bring down Napoleon's fever.





	Provisions Provided

The old farmhouse was derelict, but dry. More importantly, there was a wood burning stove in the kitchen, and enough dry kindling to get a fire going. Illya propped the injured Napoleon up in a wooden chair, the only furniture in the room, and set about providing warmth. Once that was accomplished, he had a quick reconnoitre around the rest of the house. All he found was a mattress, a pillow and two blankets, which he dragged to kitchen. Illya was a pragmatic man but, if he didn’t know better, he could almost convince himself that the fates were giving him just what he required at that moment.

After carefully moving Napoleon to the mattress and covering him with the blankets, he explored the kitchen. He was hoping that he could find something to bring his partner’s fever down. Rescue would reach them in about three hours and, although Solo’s gunshot wound was survivable, the fever wouldn’t be.

In another extraordinary stroke of luck, Illya found several copper cooking vessels, and a pestle & mortar. His mind flashed to the herbs he had seen growing in front of the farmhouse. At the time he had been busy trying to get Napoleon out of the rain, but Illya had a knack for taking in his surroundings without thinking about it.

Over twenty-five years earlier, the Russian’s grandmother had often made her own medications from the herbs and flowers she grew. As she did so, she would explain what each plant did to Illya, and his sisters, and the various ways they could be combined. That knowledge, which he had though long forgotten, raced to the front of his mind. Darting outside with two of the copper vessels, Illya didn’t care about the rain as he gathered the herbs he needed. He placed the greenery into one bowl, and used the other to collect water from a conveniently placed butt. A small voice of the back of his mind tried to tell him that some of the herbs he’d picked didn’t even grow in America, but he dismissed it.

In next to no time, Illya had the water boiling on the stove and had ground down the herbs in the mortar. These were added to the water, and allowed simmer. Illya was then face with the problem of finding something to strain the liquid through, and had to resort to using his shirt. Reluctant to remove the garment, he had to be careful not to scald himself as he poured the concoction through the fabric and into another bowl.

Allowing time for the liquid to cool, Illya knelt down and carefully manoeuvred Napoleon, so that he was leaning against his chest. The motion roused Solo a little, allowing Illya to persuade him to drink the herbal liquid.

“Sip it,” Illya cautioned.

Swallowing a small amount, Napoleon tried to turn away, only for Illya to force him back to it.

“Disgusting,” Solo whispered.

“The worse it tastes, the better it is for you,” Illya replied, matter-of-factly. “Drink, slowly.”

......................

A few hours later, Napoleon was out of surgery, and sleeping comfortably. Illya was in in customary place at his bedside. By the time their rescue had arrived, Napoleon’s fever had lessened; buying him enough time to get to professional medical care. 

As Solo had been loaded onto the helicopter, Illya had gone back inside to put the fire out. Before he left he said ‘Thank you’, to the house; feeling a little foolish as he did so. He tried hard to pretend that he hadn’t heard the ‘You’re welcome’, which came in reply.


End file.
